If you ride the trains of LRT you'll notice the "Berso sa Metro" posters. Showcases poetry in Spanish and translated in Tagalog. The first time I saw it took me away. And I always look forward to reading those sweet, smooth, sentimental poems . The poems never fails to put a smile on my face (tee-hee). Lope De Vega, Pedro Calderon de la Barca, Jose Palma and Pablo Neruda are a few of my favorites. Medyo nosebleed lang tlga pag binanasa ko na ang spanish version. lol.
Kudos to INSTITUTO CERVANTES!

Varios Efectos Del Amor
( Various Effects of Love )
Lope De Vega 1562-1635
Tagalog
Nanghihina, mapangahas, nanggagalaiti,
bastos, malambing, mapagbigay, mailap,
matatag ang loob, mortal, patay, buhay,
matapat, traydor, duwag at masigla;
Nababalisa sa gitna ng kapayapaan,
mukhang masaya, malungkot, mapagpakumbaba, mapagmataas,
nagagalit, matapang, umiiwas
kuntento, nasasaktan, mapaghinala;
bulag sa katotohanan,
ang lason sa kanya’y matamis na alak,
’Di pansin ang kasaganahan, natutuwa kapag nasasaktan;
Nasa impiyerno na’y para pa ring nasa langit,
iaalay ang kaluluwa’t buhay kahit nililinlang:
iyan ang pag-ibig: sinumang nakaranas, iya’y alam.
Spanish
Desmayarse, atreverse, estar furioso,
áspero, tierno, liberal, esquivo,
alentado, mortal, difunto, vivo,
leal, traidor, cobarde y animoso,
no hallar fuera del bien centro y reposo,
mostrarse alegre, triste, humilde, altivo,
enojado, valiente, fugitivo,
satisfecho, ofendido, receloso.
Huir el rostro al claro desengaño,
beber veneno por licor suave,
olvidar el provecho, amar el daño;
creer que el cielo en un infierno cabe;
dar la vida y el alma a un desengaño:
¡esto es amor! quien lo probó lo sabe.
English
To be fainthearted, to be bold, to be raging mad,
surly, tender, generous, aloof,
loyal, treacherous, cowardly, spirited.
Not to find, beyond your lover, satisfaction or peace.
To look happy, sad, humble, arrogant,
irate, valiant, self-effacing,
satisfied, offended, distrustful.
To turn your face from clear proofs of deceit,
to drink poison as if it were a soothing liquor,
to disregard gain and delight in being injured.
To believe that heaven can lie contained in hell ;
to devote your life and soul to being disillusioned ;
this is love ; whoever has tasted it, knows.

Tu Justificas Mi Existencia
(You Justify My Existence)
Luis Cernuda (1902-1963)
Tagalog
Ikaw ang dahilan kung bakit ako naririto.
Kung hindi kita nakilala, hindi ako mabubuhay;
Kung mamatay man ako na hindi kita nakilala,
Hindi ako mamamatay, dahil hindi naman ako nabuhay.
Spanish
Tu justificas mi existencia.
Si no te conozco, no he vivido;
Si muero sin conocerte,
no muero, porque no he vivido.
English
You are the reason why I'm here,
If I haven't known you, I won't live;
If I die without having known you
I won't have died, because I have never lived at all .

De mi jardin
(From My Garden)
Jose Palma 1876-1908
Tagalog
Humingi ka ng mga sampaguita... Di kita bibigyan
Dahil ng puputulin ko na sa mga sanga'y
Nanginig ang aking kamay at ang dibdib ko'y nanikip dahil sa awa
Ayokong magdusa ang mga bulaklak na yan,
gaya ng pagdurusa ng puso kong malayo sa iyo
ayokong sa sandaling hawakan ng aking kamay
iya'y malanta at mamamatay.
Spanish
Me pide sampaguitas, no te envio
Porque al ir a cortarlas de la rama,
Senti temblar mis manos y mi pecho
prensado por la lastima.
No quiero que padezcan esas flores,
Como padece, lejos de ti, mi alma;
No quiero que al contacto de mis manos,
perezcan marachitadas.
English
You asked for a sampaguita flower... I will not give you
Because when I tried to cut them from their stem
My hands trembled and my heart bled in anguish
I do not want these flowers to agonize
like my heart agonizes when drawn away from you
I don't want my hand, the moment it holds
These flowers will start to wither and die.

La Vida es Sueno
(Life is a Dream)
Pedro Calderon Dela Barca (Madrid 1800 - 1851)
Tagalog
Ano nga ba ang buhay? Isang Kahibangan?
Ano nga ba ang buhay? Isang Illusyon?
Isang Anino
, isang kasinungalingan?
At ang malalaking biyaya'y maliliit pa rin
Dahil ang buhay ay isa lamang pangarap
At ang mga pangarap ay pangarap lamang.
Spanish
¿ Qué es la vida?
Un frenesí.
¿ Qué es la vida?
Una ilusión,una sombra, una ficción,
y el mayor bien es pequeño: que toda la vida es sueño,
y los sueños, sueños son.
English
What is life? An insanity?
What is life? An illusion?
A shadow, a lie?
And life's biggest blessings still seemed small
Because life is only a dream
And dreams will always remain to be dreams.